#ncplbc

“... I am Emmet. She did not like me very much” He’d told his brother when they got home

“You did come on a bit strong” Ingo commented “But worry not. You will get another try” 

Emmet supposed that he would, but a part of him did not want to wait until thier schedules aligned once again. 

So he decided to look her up on the internet. 

The first thing that came up was a news report from the year prior - he recalled it, distantly, it had been sent in the Battle Bosses Newsletter, but he hadn’t found time to read it. 

No time like the present!

NIMBASA CITY WELCOMES NEWEST MASTER LIBRARIAN AND BATTLE BOSS

Galarian Native Anya Ambermight takes over as the first immigrant to run a battle challenge in Nimbasa city

Well, that was an interesting place to start. 

The article was a bit broad - Anya declining an interview, but going into her background and some first impressions from trainers

The reactions seemed… politely mixed. 

But! No one won against her - even the champion, who made her way to the challenge to “inaugurate it” had lost. Now that was interesting. 

To the XTrans!

It took a few messages to ensure he could get through, but after a second, he was connected to Iris. 

“Emmet! Hi!” 

“I am Emmet! Hello Iris! Thank you for taking the time to speak with me!” 

“No problem! You had questions about The Library Challenge?” 

“Indeed! Most descriptions online and in forums are oddly vague. Could you perhaps explain it to me?” 

“Sure!” 

Emmet listened carefully as Iris explained that once you’ve challenged the Master Librarian, you join her in an area right there in the back of the library, across the way from the archives. Above the arena is a circular device that flows a soft yellow

“It’s a sound detector! It turns color when it gets too loud, and that's the key to the challenge!” Iris explained “Once the battle starts, you have to keep an eye on it. It’ll go from yellow to orange, and if it turns red, you’re too loud, and you automatically lose!” 

“Won’t the Master librarian also be at risk of triggering it?” 

“Oh no, not at all. She didn’t make a single sound, and neither did her Pokemon! It was kind of crazy. I beat the other Master Librarian, but I wasn’t able to beat her! I won’t spoil how she’s so quiet, but she's super clever!” 

Ooh, Emmet was intrigued now. 

A little more conversation with Iris, and he felt like he was prepared enough. 

“INGO!” 

“Yes Emmet?” 

“I wish to try something new on our day off this week!!”

Ingo turned his head “And what is that?” 

“I want to do the Nimbasa City Public Library Battle Challenge!” 

Ingo tilted his head “Oh?” 

He nodded “I want to see just how good of a battler your new friend is!” 

Ingo gave his brother an interested expression. “I am curious too… very well! I shall adjust our schedule!” 

“Wonderful!”

-

“Master Ambermight” 

Anya huffed. She hated that title

“Yes?” 

“You have a challenger today” 

Her brow furrowed. 

“Alright. Let me put these things away. Have them read the riot act at the arena” She called back to the junior librarian, who nodded and rushed off. 

Why had he run off like that? Had she forgotten about her face again?

“Yama?” 

Daniel floated just before her face to get her attention 

“Yes, I know. But Irene and Frankie could use the fight anyway. The restoration doesn't have a time limit” 

“Ya-ma!” Drew floated over to the storage for the more sensitive archived collections

“Yes, yes, but those also don’t have a time limit. I wan’to keep workin’ too, but I’m not *just* a preservationist, y’know” 

Drew seemed to roll his eyes, but floated nearby as Anya closed and stored the 200 year old edition of “The Legends of Kanto” she had been studying the binding of. 

Leaving the archives, Anya climbed up the stairs and over to the arena, seeing her opponent on the other side.

She stared with wide eyes at Emmet, who was giving her a hell of a grin. 

“Hello, Anya! I am Emmet! I am curious to see if I can beat your challenge!” 

Well…. This wasn’t what she was expecting at 4 PM on a Wednesday. 

“... Y’do?” 

“I do!” 

Huh. Well then. 

Anya took a moment to school her expression “Have ye been given the rules?” 

“I wanted to hear them from you!” “Very well” Anya huffed, her voice still not very loud, and pointed above, where Daniel and Drew floated around a circular device, shaped like a disk, with a yellow band glowed gently about it from the ceiling. 

“Above us, is a sound sensor, called the “disc” - think of it as a noise-activated alarm” She started, reciting what she’d written for herself to introduce new challengers “This is a library - ye can’t be too loud. Not you, not y’r pokemon. So you have t’battle me with tha’ sensor lingerin’. If it turns red, y’lose.” 

“So I win if I beat you without setting off the alarm?” “Aye” 

“Excellent!” 

The light suddenly burst in red, bathing everyone in the arena in that cherry-colored light. 

“... That does not count?”

“It does not” 

“Good” Emmet cleared his throat, taking a moment to think, before asking “how many pokemon per battle?”

“Two maximum for each - one on one” Anya stated, moving to the other side of the area, but keeping her voice low and even ”Whenever y’r ready, the junior librarian will announce the fight with this sign” Anya raised her hands in fists at shoulder height, crossed them, and then pointed forward.

“Ah, Unovan Sign language” Emmet pointed out “I am familiar - is that how you communicate with your pokemon, Miss Anya?” 

For the first time, he saw a new expression on her - a smirk 

“Ye’ll have’t wait an’ see, Subway Master” 

Ooooh, Verrrrry interesting

Emmet tamed his smile into something a little less enthusiastic, a little more focused, and made the effort to lower his voice. 

“Then let us begin!” 

The sound disc turned orange briefly. Damn. 

This was going to be harder than he thought.

Emmet decided to go with Gavantula as his first pick, and the pokeball flashed open, the bug pokemon letting out a small squeaking noise, and Emmet found himself glancing up at the disc. 

That was going to be verrrrrry distracting. 

Anya gave the pokemon a once over, and reached to her own pokeballs, releasing a Foslass who didn’t vocalize at all once released from the pokeball, and floated behind the trainer. Anya’s eyes fell to the junior librarian - a young woman with bright blonde hair, who raised her arms in that tell tale “fight” sign language

Emmet took a breath, and said, as quiet as he could manage “We must be quiet, Gavantula! Pay attention!” 

Anya said nothing, making a sign he didn’t recognize, before the Froslass (Frankie, was its name? He knew that Ingo had mentioned the Froslass once before) nodded. 

It didn’t take Emmet too long before he realized just how Anya communicated with her pokemon, and why it made her battle so very, very difficult. 

Sign language 

And it wasn’t even Unovan sign - something he and his brother were fluent in. 

It must have been Galarian. 

That left her at somewhat of a disadvantage, with her Froslass having to either circle back around to Anya, or turn to look directly at her trainer to get instruction 

But the two were in perfect sync - with the Froslass gracefully twisting and turning to look back at her trainer and - with just a few seconds of sign, was given specific instruction on what attacks to use and where to go

Emmet only started to know which signs meant which when it was too late. 

Anya made a sign with her hands one hand had three fingers up, the other in a fist, and she sharply crossed them and pointed

Frankie used “Hex”, and though Gavantula was not down for the count, it did let out a loud, startled cry, and the stadium was bathed in bright red. 

He has lost. The battle had only been 3 minutes long. 

Despite the brief time, he felt winded, he felt …great! 

“Wonderful!” Emmet shouted, getting sudden shushing from the surrounding librarians and library guests “Oh, sorry” he covered his mouth. 

Anya was gently signing to her Froslass, giving it an affectionate pat before returning Frankie to her pokeball, and looking back at Emmet. 

“Y’lasted longer than’ most, an’ y’r clearly very skilled” She nodded “Thank y’for trying. Y’r always welcomed to try again” 

“Oh, I most certainly will! What an excellent challenge! You are extremely skilled!” 

Emmet managed to keep his voice down, but his grin was ear to ear. 

Anya, for her part, was surprised at the compliment, her complexion turning bright red

“Oh, uh, thank ye’, but I doubt I’d beat ya outside a my challenge” She shrugged 

 “I doubt that, but regardless!” Emmet grinned “I wish to speak with you at length about your creative battle strategy! I am Emmet and I want to learn more!” 

That also seemed to startle her, her entire face bright red still 

“Uh…. uhm” 

Oh, oh, he was coming on too strong again!

He backed up, putting his hands behind his back “I apologize, I get overzealous quite quickly” 

“No, no.. i’s fine” She attempted to assure. “Uh… Well, I work until 6 t’night.. If ye want, ye can meet me later..?” 

Emmet’s eyes looked like they were sparkling 

“Oh, yes! Yes please!” 

Anya seemed a bit overwhelmed for a second, but the expression changed to a smile - a real one - and Emmet gave her a thumbs up

“Ingo and I shall be waiting at 6! Please have a wonderful rest of your work day and stay on track!” 

“I will” 

Emmet tilted his hat to her with his smile still wide, and he marched out of the library, leaving Anya to sigh deeply, and her yamasks somewhat bewildered at the interaction. 

“.... Holy shit was that the subway boss?” One of the junior librarians questioned. 

“Yup” another spoke up “Master Ambermight is friend’s with ‘em” 

“Cool!” 

Anya couldn’t hide another smile as she turned to head back to the archives